Once upon a time a job in the police service in Northern Ireland was more than just that — it was a job for life, a vocation. That time is no more. It’s no longer seen as the career it once was.
And now it seems more officers in the PSNI are willing to explore other business opportunities outside the organisation.
The statistics revealed that almost 1,000 officers, around one in six employed by the PSNI, have been registered as having an outside business interest away from their day job in the last five years.
And it all points to those in the employ of the PSNI either looking elsewhere to move out of the service or — with some taking up delivery driving, jobs on building sites and car repairs — seeking additional income to aid family finances.
Either way, it paints another picture of a police service in a poor state.
“We are overworked, exhausted, undervalued,” was one of the phrases used as the Police Federation recently submitted evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body.
The PSNI does not have the financial support to employ more officers, and it is well below the Patton Report recommended number of 7,500 — and bear in mind that report was back in 1999. The number of officers is now nearer 6,000.
And while there was a commitment previously to a 7% pay rise, that has taken several years to arrive.
“Police pay awards simply did not keep pace with inflation and they had to look to other activities to attempt to supplement their household income,” chair of the Police Federation Liam Kelly said.
“They had to look to other activities to attempt to supplement their household income.”
Police officers do receive a regular income, that much is true. They may not be in the position of the self employed for example who struggled through Covid, or those in hospitality who saw their businesses fail with little they could do to stop it.
But the role of a police officer is a vital one and a doubling up of the numbers looking elsewhere should be alarming to those who hold the purse strings. The job of a police officer needs to be attractive to entice the right sort of person, and to make that recruit stick with it.
But the PSNI is being failed, and in turn the PSNI is failing the community.
It’s something Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has made a priority since taking over the position a year ago. He’s gone straight to the Prime Minister in an effort to secure the adequate financing of policing in Northern Ireland.
And the more statistics that come to light, the easier it is to see exactly why he has.